


Get Used To That

by kuroiyousei



Series: His Own Humanity [5]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: AU - Modern U.S. plus magic, Alternate Universe, Drama, Established relationship for main couple(s), Gay Quatre, Gay Trowa, Introspection, Language (general), M/M, POV: Quatre, POV: Trowa, Romance, Sexuality/sexual references
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-24
Updated: 2013-02-24
Packaged: 2020-09-26 10:10:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20388025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuroiyousei/pseuds/kuroiyousei
Summary: A brief look at how Quatre and Trowa are doing a month after the end of the curse.





	Get Used To That

He supposed he could safely say he felt a bit nervous. These sensations weren't precisely what he would have _called_ nervousness, under most circumstances and especially if taken out of context; but the fact that sensations existed at all, that his mind kept returning to the project throughout the day, seemed a positive enough sign that he was, in fact, nervous. 

Not that Quatre had never before had a day during which he thought more about Trowa than about work; but he _had_ considered himself mostly on top of that by now. It was June... he and Trowa had been together for more than two months... all that new-relationship distraction should be about over. 

But this relationship had so many _steps_ to be taken. And just as he sometimes found himself, at home, unable to escape what occupied him at work, it wasn't really _too_ surprising to find something that meant so much more to him so fixedly on his mind at moments when it probably shouldn't have been. 

He'd planned today carefully, or at least with a great deal of anticipation. Though he hadn't quite been able to bring himself to enter it in his calendar, the app for that purpose on his phone had a 'sticker' function he didn't frequently use that allowed him to put a little heart on the day without affixing any sort of label and thereby putting his intention in writing. Not that he wasn't committed; it just wasn't the type of thing he could stand to have spelled out staring him in the face every time he checked his schedule. And what if someone else had seen it? Impossible. 

Having thus been looking forward to this for quite a few days prior, he felt _he_ had prepared about as well as he could for what he planned. The problem was that little could be done to prepare _Trowa_. The best Quatre could hope for was trying to keep Trowa comfortable and at ease during all their interactions that evening, being sure to ask of him (or even hint at) nothing difficult or intimidating. 

Upon his arrival shortly after work, he made it casually clear that he planned on staying the night, in order that, though this was nothing unusual on a Friday, any lingering awkwardness Trowa might feel about such things -- and Quatre knew a touch of that remained -- would hopefully have faded by the time questions came up. Then, instead of inflicting something microwaveable on his boyfriend, he'd called a relatively nice restaurant for take-out and stopped for it on his way home. This was no time to ignore potential snags, and Quatre admitted to his culinary weakness. Trowa knew that weakness as well, but, ever the gentleman, made no fuss about it... but if he didn't have to suffer a mediocre dinner tonight, so much the better. 

The stage thus set, Quatre had a pleasant meal at his boyfriend's 50's table and pleasant conversation with his much more extensively decaded boyfriend, and only hoped he spoke naturally and engagingly and not like someone with a devious scheme for later that night. Then, as a sort of final preparatory touch, he brought up a couple of specific questions about magic that necessitated a lecture and a demonstration -- which had the dual benefit of making Trowa feel like the confident expert he was, and being something Quatre happened to enjoy quite a bit for its own sake. 

The grandfather clock in the entry declared it just past midnight when, the interesting magical discussion finished, they settled into the ugly chair as they so often did, and their talk became aimless and diffuse. This stage of proceedings often lasted for an hour or more before bed finally called them, especially if Quatre dozed while Trowa got distracted by the various engrossing things in his study, but tonight Quatre simply awaited his moment. And when he judged it had come, he didn't hesitate to make his move: 

"How would you feel about topping tonight?" 

"About... what?" 

"Being on top. Penetrating. Fucking me." 

In no way could he have missed the abrupt stiffening of Trowa's entire frame in response to the question, but what he caught less easily (though still in time to see it) was the look of near-panic that briefly crossed Trowa's previously complacent face. However, all Trowa said, in an admirable imitation of calm, was, "I'm afraid I wouldn't be any good at it." 

'Afraid,' Quatre thought, was the key word. Trowa feared hurting him, feared doing something wrong that might push Quatre away, feared not being spectacularly good at something for once and losing something he cared about as a result. 

"And _I'm_ sure you'll do just fine," Quatre replied, in a tone he hoped would reassure despite its lightness. 

"I wouldn't have any idea how." 

Quatre restrained himself from laughing. "It isn't difficult," he said solemnly. "I promise." 

Hesitantly Trowa smiled a little. "No, I suppose not. But..." 

"And I _know_ you'll enjoy it." 

Trowa's smile, though still reluctant, grew. "It isn't _my_ enjoyment I'm worried about." 

If it hadn't been for that little smile, or if Trowa had made any more serious objections, Quatre wouldn't have pushed -- all careful forethought, calendar stickers, and anticipation notwithstanding. As it was, he believed only Trowa's self-doubt stood in the way here and only needed to be brazened through. 

Trowa had been improving in recent weeks at taking initiative -- quite a bit, in fact: ever since the curse had broken, Quatre might have been able to chart a steady upward line on a graph to represent his progress. One day recently, in fact, Trowa had taken him completely and beautifully by surprise when out of the blue he'd suggested a walk through his own town, where he'd kissed Quatre almost three times in relatively public places of his own volition. But he'd never indicated interest in any sort of role reversal in bed, or even seemed to be aware such a possibility existed. And while Quatre was perfectly happy to do all the penetrating if Trowa preferred him to, he feared Trowa was missing out on that enjoyable experience simply because he hesitated, for various reasons, to make any kind of change in arrangements. 

"You're worrying over nothing," he said, "since I'm pretty sure I would enjoy lying still and watching paint dry with you." 

"I'd be a lot more sure of myself watching paint dry," replied Trowa. "I could _make_ paint dry by--" 

Quatre cut him off with a laugh, which made his, "Seriously, Trowa," seem a little incongruous. "You have nothing to worry about." 

Trowa didn't look entirely convinced, and Quatre decided to pull out the big guns. Not the puppy-dog eyes this time, either; he would skip that and go straight to what he hoped would put a quick and decisive end to the debate. Shifting in the chair, running one hand up Trowa's neck and into his hair and putting his lips against Trowa's ear, he murmured, "You know, ever since our first time, I've been _dying_ to feel you inside me." Briefly he mouthed the cartilage and closed his teeth gently on the lobe before applying his final persuasive statement: "You don't even have to use a condom." 

Trowa's eyes were wide when Quatre pulled back far enough to see them. "You _always_ use a condom." 

"Yes, but I just got tested, and everything's fine... and I was your first." 

"You're sure I wasn't lying about that?" 

Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Why would you lie about that?" 

Even in the midst of his continual wide-eyed state at Quatre's epic pronouncement, Trowa looked thoughtful. "I can think of half a dozen reasons offhand." 

"And I'm sure they're all very silly." Annoyed that his big guns hadn't been as effective as he'd hoped and expected, Quatre yet attempted to keep it out of his voice. If Trowa _really_ didn't want to try this tonight, there was nothing Quatre could do about it. Not that he would give up in the long term... but he would be disappointed this evening. 

Faintly, perhaps a little nervously, Trowa chuckled. Then, after several silent moments during which he took as many deep breaths impossible to hide from Quatre, who'd settled down against him again, he said all at once, "I'll do whatever you want. Whenever you want me to." 

Again Quatre sat up, drawing back and looking into Trowa's face. He'd learned not to question his lover's made-up mind, but he couldn't help searching the now-relatively-impassive features for signs Trowa might already be regretting those words. He found none; he hadn't really expected any, but still he'd had to check. 

"Well," he said, licking his lips as he pulled back a little in preparation for moving from the chair, "let's go." 

"Now?" It wasn't the same level of panic as before, and Trowa quelled it much more quickly, but it remained quite visible. 

"You _just_ said, 'whenever I wanted you to,'" Quatre replied, both smile and tone a mixture of kindness and suggestivity. "And the truth is, I _always_ want you to. It's just less likely to happen, say, at work, or while I'm out jogging, or something." 

"Always?" At this, Trowa seemed slightly less intimidated, and even moved more or less willingly when Quatre pulled him to his feet out of the chair. 

"Always," reiterated Quatre into his ear. "You have no idea how much I enjoy prostate stimulation." It was, quite possibly, his favorite physical sensation, but he would save that revelation for next time. 

With a blush that turned his freckles a deep burgundy, Trowa admitted, "I certainly won't deny that _I_ enjoy that..." 

Quatre raised a brow. "Then don't you think I deserve a turn?" 

And that did it. Though Quatre's voice had been facetious, still definitely in the realm of flirtation and lightness so as not to make Trowa feel unduly pressured, even just the hint of an accusation of unfairness apparently tipped Trowa's mental scales. 

"Yes," Trowa said determinedly, "you do." And he didn't even add, as Quatre had been more than half expecting, some nonsense about Quatre deserving it better than Trowa could give it to him. He only accompanied Quatre into the bedroom with the air of one ready to do his best regardless, at least for the moment, of whether or not it would be good enough. 

* 

Trowa had a fairly rigid set of superlatives, and felt himself in a decent position to consider them unlikely to change. Having lived over a hundred years, having endured decades of crushing remorse and despair, having felt that burden lifted in a blinding moment beyond all hope, it was no difficult task to assign _best_ and _worst_ to various experiences he'd had. And therefore he couldn't say this had been the best night of his life, or even the best hour of his life. 

But it had been pretty damn close. 

After a period much longer than usual of sweaty entanglement and calming breaths that in their turn retained a hint of voice much longer than usual, Quatre had risen for his accustomed tidying and preparations for sleep, and Trowa watched him with a greater or at least more minute attention than on most nights. He couldn't help noticing Quatre moving differently, walking perhaps a little stiffly; and that couldn't be anything but Trowa's fault. Quatre had promised it wasn't difficult, which had turned out to be essentially the case, but perhaps Trowa had done something wrong after all. 

But a tight and anxious expression had barely begun to elbow its way past what he'd been wearing ('dazed euphoria') when he also began to notice that Quatre's altered movements included a sort of continual stretching or shifting seemingly aimed at recapturing certain lost or fading sensations; and that his face, when visible between having his back to the bed and having turned off all the lights, bore an intense look of weary ecstasy, even triumph, that seemed to declare inarguably all was well. 

Despite this, Trowa couldn't be certain what he should say as Quatre returned to his side and started arranging bedding and body parts to his own satisfaction and comfort. _Something_ should be said to let Quatre know he'd been right, that Trowa really _had_ enjoyed this as much as Quatre had believed he would... and if Trowa could work up the nerve, there was even some teasing he'd like to enact... but how to begin? 

Quatre, however, didn't give him time. "Normally," he started before even completely settled against Trowa, "I don't take things guys say in the middle of sex too seriously, especially that particular thing, but I can't help asking..." He finished in a quieter tone that sounded simultaneously pleased and hopeful, and yet surprisingly questioning and tentative: "You said you love me?" 

"Was that a bad moment for it?" 

Quatre seemed to be attempting to restrain his laughter, but it didn't work. Finally he remarked, "You know, sometimes I'm pretty sure at least some of your lack of self-confidence is put on, because I think that's the most ridiculous question you've ever asked me." 

It interested Trowa to hear his lover laughing at him, essentially making fun of him, and to have it be nevertheless so completely without sting. And Quatre had such a pleasant laugh... Trowa smiled a little as he began sheepishly, "Well, I haven't--" 

But Quatre interrupted him with, "Did you not notice that orgasm I had because you said that? Not that I wouldn't have come eventually -- because _damn_, Trowa -- but, yes, I'd say that was a _very_ good moment to say it." 

Trowa liked all of that very much. "'Damn?'" he said. "Really?" 

With grinning impatience Quatre replied, "Yes, damn, but don't change the subject. You said you love me." 

"I did," Trowa agreed gravely. He was teasing Quatre by hedging, but he was also giving himself time to think. 

He saw the wisdom in disregarding, to some extent, something someone said during sex. His statement had indeed been born of physical ecstasy, and his mind had been more than a bit of a jumble at the time. However, it took only a moment's uncomplicated reflection to decide it hadn't been at all inaccurate. Of course he loved Quatre. 

"And I do." He would have thought it might be difficult to say aloud, this statement that bound him so much more closely to another person than he'd ever been, this declaration he had never made to anyone, even back when it might have been called for; but it turned out to be remarkably easy. "I do love you." 

"Oh, good," Quatre breathed, sounding for a moment very childlike and squeezing Trowa tightly. "I don't know what I would have said otherwise. It's always awkward to be in love with someone who doesn't love you back." 

The multiform implications of this statement at first too greatly overwhelmed Trowa for him to say anything, but since one of them was that Quatre loved him in return, he tightened his embrace and buried his face in Quatre's hair. He knew by now precisely what kind of hair products Quatre used, since various bottles had aggregated in his bathroom for those times (more and more frequent) when Quatre didn't feel like going to his own house... but he was never prepared for the way they mixed together with Quatre's natural scents. And that lovely smell combined with the headiness of the exchange they'd just had -- not to mention the afterglow nowhere near fading yet -- rendered Trowa about as dizzy as he thought it possible to be while lying flat and still. Here was, perhaps, another superlative, though he wasn't in any state to categorize it at the moment. 

Quatre murmured something incoherent against the skin of Trowa's chest, sounding very content. 

After a short period, however, another implication of the latest statement prompted Trowa to ask what he'd been wondering since: "How often, exactly, have you been in love with someone who didn't love you back?" 

"Only a couple of times," Quatre said, and faint suspicion sounded in his tone. "Why?" 

Trowa still felt nervous at the thought that Quatre had been with many other men in the past and could at any given moment be comparing his current boyfriend unfavorably with previous, more experienced lovers -- but he planned not to admit it. Even if Quatre didn't already know about this insecurity in him (and Trowa was sure he did), Trowa didn't want him to have to deal with it. He wanted to move beyond needing Quatre's reassurance on every little thing, wanted to be able to overcome emotional failings on his own. Quatre had given every indication of being perfectly satisfied with the current arrangements, so why should Trowa assume any kind of unflattering comparison was or would ever be occurring in his head? 

So Trowa gave a much more light-hearted answer in response to the question. "Maybe I'm a little jealous of anyone else you've ever been in love with." 

"Mmm," Quatre said, "jealous, are you?" He sounded unexpectedly pleased with this. "Even after the way you blew my mind a few minutes ago?" 

Trowa blushed. 

Quatre went on more quietly, more seriously. "You might like to know, though... this isn't like any relationship I've been in before, and the way I feel about you isn't like how I've felt about anyone else." 

Blush growing hotter, in conjunction with a burning sensation in his chest and an increase in heart-rate he believed Quatre must also be able to feel, Trowa shuffled vaguely through a number of responses that came to mind. Most of them were self-deprecating, and perhaps he didn't entirely believe those anymore, so he just said, in perfect honesty, "Thank you; I _do_ like to know that." 

After nuzzling Trowa briefly with face and shoulders, Quatre lay still, and neither of them said anything for a while. Trowa didn't think they were making any significant progress toward sleep, though; there was too much to ponder. Too many thoughts that set him on fire for sleep. He was in love, and, as far as he could tell, doing it right this time -- or, at the very least, better than before (though, honestly, it would have been difficult to do it _worse_ than before). 

And he also hadn't lost track of the need to give his boyfriend a hard time on one particular subject. 

"Now you can check this off," he finally said into the darkness. 

"What?" 

"'Have Trowa say he loves me.' I'm sure it must have been on your list." 

Quatre gave a very sheepish laugh and cleared his throat. "Actually it wasn't. You took me completely by surprise." And without bothering to deny that he did, in fact, have a list, he added, "But 'Get Trowa to top' definitely was." 

"You could add it just for the sake of checking it off. Or are all the list items sexual in nature?" 

"Only some of them. The real problem is that it isn't a written list, exactly." 

"I'd like to know what's on it, though," Trowa mused, "if only to brace myself for what else I have to do." 

In a tone that clearly said, _I can't **believe** you're teasing me about this_, Quatre replied, "I'll try to give you fair warning. We can discuss items when they appear." 

"In scheduled meetings," was Trowa's solemn elaboration on this formal-sounding idea, "where hopefully I'm allowed to make suggestions as well." 

"Of course you are!" Quatre seemed simultaneously embarrassed that he'd been called out on having an active list of ways to improve Trowa and their relationship, and appalled at the suggestion Trowa might not be allowed to contribute. 

"Then how about 'Have Trowa say he loves me twice in one day?'" 

Sounding suddenly very relieved, though not yet entirely free of guilt, Quatre said, "That one I would be happy to put on there just for the sake of crossing it off." 

"Well, I love you." Not for the first time, Trowa wondered at the circumstance of being the one to offer rather than receive reassurance, regardless of the fact that he'd been the one to bring up the troublesome topic. "Even if you're trying to run my life. Perhaps _because_ you're trying to run my life." 

"I do that to people," Quatre half sighed. "It's a good thing I'm a manager at work, because otherwise I'd be fired for trying to act like one anyway." 

"Please don't change on my account. In fact, just don't change. I think we were in this same spot when you told me not to change certain things you liked about me, so let me return the compliment: you're wonderful exactly as you are." 

Quatre laughed and rubbed affectionately against Trowa again, but there remained some protest in his tone as he said, "But it's a little unfair." Then after a moment of thoughtful silence he added, "Maybe you should have a turn at that too." 

"At trying to run my life?" Trowa wondered, surprised and amused. "Or trying to run yours?" 

"I expect you to run your own life," Quatre said sternly, "with or without my meddling. No, I meant mine. Why don't you suggest something? Right now. Tell me something to do with myself." Though these last few statements sounded mostly playful, an underlying sincerity to Quatre's tone indicated Trowa shouldn't dismiss this as meaningless banter. 

So he made the first suggestion he could think of: "Why don't we take a cooking class together?" 

There followed a longer period of differently flavored silence, as if Quatre had been completely blindsided by the idea. Of course this raised immediate consternation in Trowa; it had been a dangerous position Quatre had put him in, and he should have given more consideration to how he responded. But then Quatre rolled over and started laughing uncontrollably into the pillow. 

This muffled uproar didn't last very long, but it was enough for Trowa to relax and smile. Quatre truly had a charming laugh, regardless of how much bedding it was filtered through. 

Then Quatre turned again and slid right up against Trowa, wrapping his arms back around him. "Yes," he gasped, "yes, I think we should definitely take a cooking class together. I love you. Heero will be jealous." 

Assuming he meant Heero would be jealous about the cooking class, not that Heero would be jealous because Quatre loved Trowa, the latter nevertheless replied a little aloofly, "Heero can find his own." 

"Mmm," said Quatre appreciatively. "So authoritative of you." 

"Hmm," Trowa replied, pulling Quatre closer in his appreciation of Quatre's appreciation. "Maybe I could get used to that." 

"I know _I_ could." Now Quatre's tone had changed, and the motion of the hand that had previously lain still on Trowa's chest indicated the direction things would go if he had his way. Against the skin just beneath Trowa's ear he murmured, "What about 'Have Trowa top twice in one day?'" 

Loving both the vibrations of Quatre's voice and the movement of his hand, but not entirely sure about the words, Trowa hesitated. "Go ahead and add that to the list," he said slowly. "But don't count on crossing it off right now." 

"Well, it's always nice to have something to work on." Quatre didn't sound at all perturbed, despite the obvious interest with which he'd made the proposal. "It keeps away boredom." 

Perfectly recognizing the facetiousness of this statement, Trowa absolutely refused to grant entry to a sudden new worry that Quatre might get bored with him. There, he really was improving. A month ago, that thought would have haunted him all night. 

Tonight, as they moved away from the cerebral exchange toward a more physical one, and in so doing essentially managed to confirm or at least supplement everything that had previously been said, Trowa couldn't help thinking -- when he could think at all -- that Quatre, as usual, was right: things didn't have to be perfect yet; just having something to work on was nearly as satisfying as a superlative.


End file.
